Devices for unloading materials from silos and other storage facilities



Sept. 25, 1962 c. F. DRETZKE ET AL 3,055,649

DEVICES FOR UNLOADING MATERIALS FROM SILOS AND OTHER STORAGE FACILITIES5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 6, 1959 A WAYNE?, Y

/ MTRR K 2a LORENzE R. ANDERSON f/f BY l vivaldi?? l!!! Sept. 25, 1962AND OTHER STORAGE FACILITIES Filed Nov. 6, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 c. F. DTzKE 'E1-AL 3,055,649 DEVICES EOE UN DING MATERIALS FROM sILos INVENTORSC L F. DRETZKE LOREN R. ANDERSON BY ATTORNE Y Sept. 25, 1962 TzKE ET AL3,055,649

DEVI IALS SIL ACILI F. FOR DING MATER ND STORAGE F Filed NOV. 6, l'959`Sheets-Sheet 3 f EH,..-

Egf 5| 45 52 56 'l FEED- IN V EN TORS ATTORNEY Sept. 25, 1962 c. F.DRETZKE ET AL 3,055,649

DEvIcEs RoR UNLOADING MATERIALS FROM sILos AND OTHER sToRAGEEAcILITIEs 5Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed NOV. 6, 1959 anw INVENTORS CARL F. DRETZKE LORENZER. ANDERSON BY ATTORNEY Sept. Z5, 1962 c. F. DRETZKE ET A1. 3,055,649nEvIcRs FoR UNLOADING MATERIALS FROM SILOS AND OTHER STORAGE FACILITIESFiled Nov. 6, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS CARL F. DRETZKE LORENZE R.ANDERSON BY Ai-TTORNEY United States Patent @hice 3,055,649 PatentedSept. 25, 1962 3,655,649 DEVICES FOR UNLADING MATERIALS FROM SILS ANI)OTHER STGRAGE FACILITIES Carl F. Dretzke and Lorenza R. Anderson,Manawa, Wis. Filed Nov. 6, i959, ser. No. 851,293 8 Claims. (Ci. 262-19)The present invention relates to improvements in devices for unloadingmaterials from silos or other storage facilities, and more particularlyimprovements which place the materials in the silo in such condition asto facilitate the unloading thereof.

This invention is concerned with improvements for certain purposes overlthe inventions disclosed in the copending applica-tion for patent ofCarl F. Dretzke, Serial No. 720,848, led March 12, 1958. The subjectmatter of this invention which are the result of joint invention by theapplicants herein is the flail bar and means of attachment therefor tothe silo unloading device as hereinafter described.

Although the invention described in said co-pending application operatesvery successfully, we have discovered that removal of materials fromsilos or other storage buildings is facilitated when large masses orchunks of such materials can be reduced in size before being fed to the-thrower and when materials `of more uniform size are provided for thethrower. Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provideimprovements in devices lfor unloading materials from silos or otherstorage facilities for more efficient operation by providing a steadierflow of materials to the blower in either warm or cold temperatures.

I-t is another object of the invention to provide such a device whichavoids overloading of the blower with chunks of materials.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a device which shredsand cuts long or stringy materials into smaller pieces for easierhandling by the thrower.

A further object of the invention is to provide such an improvementwhich will cooperate with the surfaceleveling portion of the unloadingdevice.

Still another object `of the invention is to provide such an improvementwhich can be used with either a singleauger or a double-auger unloader.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following`detailed explanation taken in conjunction with the accompanying`drawings wherein a preferred embodiment o-f the principles of theinvention has been selec-ted for exemplification.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a double-auger unloading device having ourimprovements within a fractional section of the silo.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a single-auger unloading device having ourimprovements with the moto-r, the thrower pipe and certain guideapparatus removed.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional side View of the outer endof an auger showing our flail bar attachment in relation to theautomatic levelling construction on the line 3 3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational fragmentary view of the flail Ibar and oneauger of a double-auger unloading device with hook knives on the line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the outer attachment of the ail bar on theline 5 5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a top plan View of the inner attachment of the flail bar onthe line 6 6 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary side view of an auger with hook knives securedthereto.

FIG. 8 isan enlarged view of one of the hook knives secured to a portionof an auger on the line 8 8 of FIG. 7.

` ment 27 as the frame revolves within the silo.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like numerals referto like parts, the silo unloader indicated in its entirety at 10 ispositioned on silage 11 in silo 12. Frame members 13 and 14 are securedto axle tubings 15 and 16, which support drive wheels 17 and 18 andidler wheels 19 and 2i), respectively. The frame members carry the motor21, lthe gear box 22 and thrower 23 which are energized by belts 24 and25. Materials brought into the thrower are thrown linto thrower pipe 26and ejected through the open silo door. Thrower pipe 26 is retained inposition in relation to the silo by attach- Guide wheel 28, retained inposition by shafts 29 and 30, operates in advance of the revolving framemembers and assists in retaining the inner end of such frame in positionrelative Ito the vertical axis of the silo. The gears (not shown) ingear box 22 power drive wheels 17 and 18 through drive shafts 31, 32,33, 34 and 35.

Angers 36 and 37 with auger pipes 38 and 39 and flighting 40 in FIG. 1,and single auger 41 having auger pipe 42 and fligh-ting 43 in FIG. 2,are likewise activated to revolve around the longitudinal axis of therespective auger pipes 1by gears (not shown) in gear box 22, asdescribed in detail in co-pending application Serial No. 720,848. InIthe augers shown in FIG. 1 auger 36 is a left hand auger and auger 37is a right hand auger, and they operate in opposite directions asindicated by the arrows. The end of auger 36 nearest the gear box 22 hasa short piece of right-hand ighting 44 to reverse the silage to directit into thrower 23.

Guide wheels 45 and 46 are rotatably secured to brackets 47 and 48 whichare attached to divider bar 49 at the outer extremity of frame members13 and 14. Leveler guide wheel 50 is rotatably secured to mounting plate51 which is retained in position by leveler braces 52 and 53 and gussets54 and 55. Gussets 54 and 55 are welded to leveler braces 52 and 53,respectively, and to lifters 56 and 5'7, respectively. Leveler braces 52and 53 are welded to mounting plate 51 and lifters 56 and 57respectively as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. Levelling hinges 58 are weldedyto plates 59 which are secured to frame members 13 and 14,respectively. Levelling hinges 58 are secured to lifters 56 and 57,respectively, by Ibolts 59a with bushings for each lifter as illustratedin FIG. 3.

Yoke risers 60 and 61 are secured to lifters I56 and 57 by bolts 62which preferably have bushings to permit movement of lifters 56 and 57in relation to the respective yoke risers. Yoke risers 60 and 61 aresecured to divider bar 89 by welding or other suitable means, and suchyoke risers are held in position between two alignment pins 6-3 and 64which are suitably attached to mounting plates 59.

Auger hangers 65 and 65a are secured to divider bar 89 by bolts 66, andalso carry the out ends of `augers 36 and 37 :and bushings '67. Sillagechippers 68 `are carried at the end of the respective augers 36 and 37.

Where, as described above and shown in FIGS. l, 2 and 3, there is anautomatic leveller device, the flail bar 69 is hingedly secured todivider bar 89. A preferred method of such attachment is shown in FIG.5. Right angled carriers 70 and 71 are secured to divider bar 89 bybolts and nuts 66. Bolt 72 extends through the aperture 73 in carrier70, through tubing 74 and through aperture 75 in carrier 71 secured bynut 76. Flail bar 69 is welded to tubing 74, land such attachment m-aybe reinforced with webbing 77. The ail bar 69 extends downward from its-attachment with tubing 74 as shown in FIG. 4, bending at 7 8 andextending .toward the vertical axis of the silo 12. Where the unloaderhas such yan automatic leveller device, the flail ybar should also havean inner telescoping tube 79, which is hingedly connected n by bolt 80to tubing 81. Tubing 81 is securely attached by welding to support framemember 82, which, along with support frame member 83, also supports themotor 21 Where no automatic levelling device is used, the Hail bar 69may be rigid, and in such case the Hail lbar need not be telescoped, andno hinging at the ends of the Hail bar is required.

Attached to the auger Highting 40 and 43 are hook knives 84 of hardmetal having a curvature as shown in FIG. 8 and terminating in a sharppoint 85, which hook knives cooperate with the Hail bar 69 in providingsuitably sized silage material to thrower 23. Such knives are secured byscrews 90 or other desirable means to the edge portion of Highting `40and 43 as illustrated in FIG. 5. When screws or bolts are used to securethe hook knives 84 to auger Highting 40, the knives may be easilyremoved for replacement or sharpening, if necessary. The hook knife hasa sharpened forward cutting edge 86 which cuts the silage and isparticularly effective in slicing olf frozen silage in cold climates.The hook knives 84 are so positioned on the auger Highting that thesharp cutting edge 86 of the knife engages the surface of the silagematerial 11. The cutting edges 86 of the hook knives are forwardlycurved in the same direction as the respective auger Highting to whichthe hook knives are attached. The hook knives 84 are preferablyregularly spaced along the periphery of Highting 40 or 43, 'but may bespaced as desired for particular kinds of silage or other conditions.

Referring to the double-auger silo unloader shown in FIG. 1, the Hailbar 69 places a downward pressure on the silage between the augers tohold it down momentarily to provide for a better distribution of thesilage carried by the augers 36 and 37, as the augers pull the silageapart. of silage `are sometimes carried to the thrower so las to clogthe thrower 23. The downward pressure of the Hail bar on the silagebetween the augers, as the augers pull the chunks of silage into smallerportions, minimizes the likelihood of such clogging. Thus, it is seenthat the Hail bar provides a useful purpose even when the hook knives 84are not secured to the augers. Preferably Hail bar 69 is locatedslightly above the lower edges of the auger Highting 40 and 43, as shownin FIG. 4. The location of Hail bar 69 may, however, be varied as to itsheight in relation to the lower edge of the auger Highting, dependingupon the type `of silage to be `removed and other particular conditionsthat may exist.

However, when the hook knives 84 are secured to the auger Highting 40and 43 as shown in FIGS. l and 2 respectively, the Hail bar and the hookknives cooperate to produce even greater uniformity in the feeding ofthe silage to the thrower. As the Hail bar holds down the silage betweenthe augers, the hook knives eut the silage into smaller pieces, so as topass through thrower 23 more easily and in more uniform size. Thecutting of the silage, both frozen and unfrozen, is facilitated byhaving the hook knives curved in the same direction as the augerHighting to which they -are attached. The hook knives also tend to throwthe cut silage into the path of the auger. These features constitute asubstantial improvement over the `stnaight auger knives disclosed incpending application Serial No. 720,848. The sharp hook knives 84 arealso helpful in slicing frozen silage as they revolve over the surfaceof the silage for conveyance by augers to the thrower. Although the Hailbar and the hook knives may be used independently on the silo unloader,the best results are produced by the cooperation of the Hail bar and thehook knives as hereinabove discussed.

The Operation of the Hail bar and hook knives is substantially the samewhen used with a single-auger unloader as shown in FIG. 2, as with thedouble-auger unloader. As some of the silage is held down by the HailWithout the Hail bar, large amounts or chunksv bar 69, the How of silagepassing into the thrower 23 is more uniform in size with fewer largechunks to clog the thrower. The hook knives with the single-augerunloader also cut the silage into smaller pieces as the Hail bar holdsthe silage down momentarily to provide a better How of material to thethrower.

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 show the hinged arrangement of the Hail bar when it isused with a silo unloader having an automatic levelling device asdescribed above and in copending application Serial No. 720,848. Thus,when the terrain of the silage is uneven and the augers are raised orlowered with respect to frame members 13 and 14 by the increased ordecreased pressure of leveller guide wheel 50 `against; the silo wall12, the Hail bar 69 can adjust itself to remain in substantially thesame position relative to the auger 41 in the single-auger unloader, orrelative to augers 36 and 37 in the double-auger unloader. The hingedconnections of the Hair bar 69 with divider bar 89 and between the Hailbar and tubing 81, along with the telescoping of tube 79 within Hail bar69 provide the necessary Hexibility for providing such adjustment, andalso prevent breakage of the Hail bar.

Where the silo unloader is not provided with an automatic levellingdevice, there is no need for hinging the Hail bar at each end or for thetelescoping of the Hail bar. In such ca-se, the Hail bar will remain inconstant relation with the auger or augers by rigid connection of theHail bar to its supporting members.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not confined to theparticular construction and arrangement of parts herein illustrated anddescribed, but embraces all such modified forms thereof as may comewithin the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a silage unloader, an elongated main frame radiating from andbeing revolvable about the central upright axis of the silo, anelongated auger conveyor suspended from said frame being rotatablyoperable to transport silage inwardly toward said axis, means suspendedfrom said frame forwardly of said conveyor to momentarily hold down aportion of said silage and means secured to said conveyor for cuttingsaid silage while rit is held down and feeding said cut silage to theconveyor.

2. In a silage unloader, an elongated main frame radiating from andbeing revolvable about the central upright axis of the silo, anelongated auger conveyor suspended from said frame being operable totransport silage inwardly toward said yaxis, an elongated Hail barsuspended from said frame adjacent to and substantially parallel withsaid auger conveyor, said Hail bar being forwardly of said augerconveyor and in contact with the surface of the silage as the framerevolves about said axis.

3. The invention of claim 2 additionally including means carried by saidHail bar and said frame to permit vertical adjustment of the Hail bar inrelation to the frame when the auger conveyor is subjected to verticalmovement with respect to said frame.

4. In a silage unloader, an elongated main frame radiating from andbeing revolvable about the central upright axis of the silo, anelongated auger conveyor having auger Highting suspended from said framebeing rotatably operable to transport silage inwardly toward said axis,an elongated Hail bar suspended from said frame adjacent to andsubstantially parallel with said conveyor, said Hail bar being forwardlyof said conveyor and in frictional contact with the surface of thesilage as the frame revolves about said axis, curved hook knives securedto and extending outward from the outer periphery of the auger conveyor,the Hail bar being in close spaced relation to said hook knives wherebysaid knives cut said silage into smaller pieces as it is held infrictional contact with said Hail bar.

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein the hook knives are respectivelycurved in the same direction as the auger Highting to which said hookknives iare secured.

6. In a sillage unloader, an elongated main frame radiating from `andbeing revolvable about the central upnight axis of the silo, a pluralityof elongated auger conveyors having auger flighting suspended from saidframe being rotatably operable to tnansport silage inwardly toward saidaxis, Ian elongated ail bar suspended from said frame between saidconveyors and in frictional contact with the surface of the silage asthe frame revolves.

ward said axis, an elongated ail bar suspended from said frame betweensaid conveyors and in frictional contact with the surface of the silageas the frame revolves about said axis, curved hook knives secured to andextending outwardly from the outer periphery of the auger conveyors, theflail bar being in relatively close spaced relationship to said hookknives whereby said ihook knives cut said silage as it is held infrictional contact with said ilail bar.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,417,313 MacKinnon Mar. l1, 1947 2,598,350 Carroll May 27, 19522,888,253 Van Dusen May 26, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 69,152 Austria June 25,1915

